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Lesbian Marian teacher says pregnancy cost her a job

Jay Grossman, 8:55 a.m. EDT September 3, 2014

“I always felt in life that if you worked hard and you lived a decent life, that’s how people would judge you,” former Marian teacher Barbara Webb said about all the support she’s received.
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Barbara Webb felt she had to speak up, regardless of the price she knew she might pay.

The 33-year-old Madison Heights woman was fired in August from her teaching position at Marian High School in Bloomfield Hills after telling administrators that she was starting her own family in "a non-traditional way."

Webb and her partner, Kristen Lasecki, are expecting their first child in March. The couple was married in Canada in 2012.

"When you're talking about being an educator, 95 percent of your time is spent in the classroom with your students – and your private life has nothing to do with teaching," she said. "I always felt if my private life wasn't out there in the public, then it wasn't an issue."

Now she's speaking up. Webb, who taught chemistry at Marian for the past nine years, posted an announcement about her firing on her Facebook page, and the result has been hundreds of messages in support of her.

"It's overwhelming," she said. "Hearing from former students, parents, colleagues – it's very gratifying. I always felt in life that if you worked hard and you lived a decent life, that's how people would judge you. To me, this just reinforced that you're judged on your character instead of being put into some sort of box."

School officials at Marian were unavailable for comment. Webb believes she was fired because of a morality clause included in her contract.

She first approached the school in July about her pregnancy, and left the meeting feeling positive. Three weeks later, however, she was told in a second meeting that she could either resign quietly with her healthcare benefits intact - or she would be fired.

She chose to stand up.

"I felt a need to share what was happening," she said. "I guess I wanted to shed light on social injustices that are still happening in 2014. People can't fight for change if they don't know what is happening."

Webb said she was always a fighter. She loved debate class at Fraser High School and was always outspoken about promoting human rights. Her former teachers at Fraser inspired her to go into the teaching profession.

She grew up with two brothers and said her parents are very supportive of her position.

"It's not easy all the time when you know your kid is gay," she said. "I'm as proud of them as they are of me."

Webb understands people might question why she decided to teach at an all-girls private Catholic school that adheres strictly to the teachings of the church. The first reason is because she wanted to inspire young girls to pursue careers in the science fields. She also wants people to understand that having a baby was not on her mind when she applied to the school a decade ago.

At the same time, she always felt welcomed at Marian, even when she was hired and unsure if her lifestyle fit with the school's mission statement.

"I was told that Marian hires teachers from the far right, the far left and every shade in between," she said. "Keep it private was the motto I lived by."

With that in mind, she was hoping the school would understand her position and allow her to take a sabbatical. She did not expect to be fired.

"I felt good after our first initial meeting because it seemed like the administrators were sympathetic," she said. "They told me I was a good teacher."

And despite all the publicity regarding her firing, Webb said she would be willing to return to Marian – but only if they treated her like any other teacher.

"I would reconsider because I definitely loved my time there," she said. "But there needs to be more awareness that it's a woman's right to have a child," she said. "Nobody should be punished for wanting to have a child."

In the end, Webb said she spoke up for all the people who are afraid to voice their feelings.

"People see all the postings on my Facebook page, but they haven't seen the hundreds of private messages I received from people who are grateful that someone is speaking out," she said. "I could have slipped away quietly, but I wanted people to know the truth. People will form their own opinions, and that's fine. But I wanted them to know the real story and hopefully that will motivate someone in their own life to take a courageous step, and to try and make a difference."